Ceasefire between Israel and Hamas comes into force | Hostages to be released

A four-day ceasefire between the radical Islamic Palestinian organization Hamas and Israel has officially come into force in the Gaza Strip. The ceasefire began on Friday at 07:00 (local time; 06:00 CET). A total of 50 Israeli hostages held by Hamas and 150 Palestinian prisoners are to be released during the ceasefire. The first hostages, 13 women and children, are expected to be released at around 16:00 (local time; 15:00 CET). Israel and Hamas reached the agreement on Wednesday after lengthy negotiations mediated by Qatar.